Shots In The Dark
by possiblycrazee
Summary: VERY AU! Jim and the squad in 1914, at the start of WW1. How Jim goes blind and adjusts to his new life with a war raging around him.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

**_Europe, June 29th, 1914_**

The headlines were somber that day. In Sarajevo, Bosnia, not 24 hours before, the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. The culprits, a gang of Serbian rebels known as the Black Hand, were hell bent on independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and longed for the unification of all Serbs. With the majority of Europe interlocked and interwoven by treatises and decrees, a European war went from being a distant possibility to the inevitably near future. Bloodshed was unavoidable.

**_Liverpool, England, September 1st, 1914_**

The dockworkers had been at their posts since 6 o'clock that morning. The four man crew unloading the last of the Blue Funnel Line pallets on Dock Eleven had worked together since they all joined up at the docks when they were 15. But the four had known each other since they were small, all living in the same street since they were seven years old. Brick, Selly, Kitten and Jimmy, longtime friends and drinking buddies.

Marty 'Brick' Russo was a fiery-tempered, dark-eyed brunette who looked as though he'd be more at home in Italy, than his native Liverpool. Loyal to a fault, Marty Russo had, more than once, jumped into a fight against impossible odds to help one of his mates. Brick was an unassuming, hardworking man who believed in four things; friends, family, lager and the Liverpool Reds. His one claim to fame was that he had almost gotten arrested once for beating a much larger boy senseless with a wooden mallet for sitting on his garden wall when he was just nine years old.

Tom 'Selly' Selway was a short, quiet man, with shaggy brown hair that would constantly flop into his eyes if it weren't for the round, wire-rimmed glasses he wore. He was the only black man in the crew, and the only one who could talk Brick down out of a temper. The lads all joked that Selly talked so seldom, it was pure shock that brought Brick down off a temper, not anything in particular that he said. But it was unanimous amongst the four, when Tom Selway spoke, you listened and you learned. Because chances were, you weren't ever gonna hear him say his piece a second time.

Christopher 'Kitten' Bettancourt was a whip-thin, wiry man with the reflexes of a cat and a cheeky sense of humour that had the ladies falling all over themselves for him. With his wavy black hair, piercing grey eyes and dazzling smile, his sense of humour was not the only reason the ladies loved him. Trouble was, Kitten didn't love the ladies. This had caused many of the impossible fights Brick had hurled himself into, as well as a long period of awkwardness amongst the crew that had lasted until Selly, in one of his rare displays of temper, had told them all to "Pull their frelling heads out the oven, he's still the same lad we grew up with, just means more girlies for us, now don't it."

The last member of the crew was James 'Jimmy' Dunbar, a handsome blonde haired, blue-eyed man who was considered by many as arrogant, but those who knew him knew that he wasn't. He knew what he could do well, and he didn't mind telling people so. Jimmy was a friendly, jovial man with a heart the size of a horse blanket for the most part, but when he lost his temper, he was worse than a dozen of Brick. The lads had only ever seen him lose his temper twice, and they all agreed that they would do whatever it took to make sure it never happened again. James Dunbar also considered himself a good singer, he had a decent tenor, but his mates would never let him know that. Jimmy sang when he was drunk, he sang when he was sober, he sang when he was in the bath, but for the most part (to the dismay of his friends), he sang when he was at work.

"_Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling_

_From glen to glen, and down the mountain side_

_The summers gone, and all the flowers are dying,_

'_Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must…"_

"You must learn to sing, that's what you must do, Dunbar," Marty Russo interrupted from his place atop the ladder.

"… _bide,"_ Dunbar continued, taking note of his critic only long enough to flip him a two-fingered salute.

"_But come ye back when summer's in the meadow_

_Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow_

'_Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow_

_Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so."_

"Beautiful, Jimmy, now will you pack in and do some bloody work! Them pallets aren't goin' to unload their frelling selves!" Kitten called over to him, hoisting a crate onto his bare, muscle-bound shoulders.

Jimmy just grinned at him, accepting the crate Selly handed down to him with a muttered "Ta, lad", before walking it down to the end of the dock where he dumped it unceremoniously on top of the one Kitten had just put down.

As he slowly trundled back up the dock to collect another crate, Jimmy began to sing again.

"_Oh! I will take you back, Kathleen_

_To where your heart will feel no pain_

_And where the fields are fresh and green_

_I'll take you to your home again!"_

Just as he was about to launch into the first verse, Selly spoke up from underneath his crate, "Come ahead, Jim-lad, sing summat different, they played that 'un at me ma's funeral."

Dunbar blinked a couple of times, it always surprised him whenever Selly spoke, but to hear him talk about his past was completely shocking. Throwing a lopsided smile in Tom's direction, he launched himself into another song.

"_Liverpool Lou, lovely Liverpool Lou,_

_Why won't you behave just like other girls do?_

_Why does my poor heart keep followin' you?_

_My Liverpool Lou!"_

September 1st had started out much the same as every other day had. The four walked home, complaining about their jobs and their various aches and pains, as usual. The little Fogarty lad came and tried to sell them all a newspaper, same as he did every other day. But today was different. This time instead of teasing the kid and walking him home, Selly actually bought a newspaper. The headline jumped out at him from the top of the Liverpool Echo. _BRITAIN TO ENTER EUROPEAN WAR – MEN NEEDED TO FIGHT THE GERMAN MENACE._ The four read the article, their eyes getting bigger and bigger. When they'd finished, each and every one of their minds was a flurry of emotion. Anger at the reported atrocities of the German Army. Indignation that 'plucky little Belgium' got dragged into a war it wanted no part of. Patriotism, them German bastards wouldn't know what hit 'em when they ran into a bunch of Liverpool lads. But most of all the four friends felt excitement at the thought that they could see places other than Liverpool.

The lads came to an unspoken decision as they walked home from work that night. The next morning, they were joining up. Brick, Selly, Kitten and Jimmy were going to war.

_Author's Note: _The songs used in this chapter are not mine, I just borrowed them. They are (in order of appearance) "Danny Boy", "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" and "Liverpool Lou".


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Brick, Kitten, Jimmy and Selly cut through the playing field to get to Marsh Lane, where the recruitment offices had been set up. Brick was kicking a rock across the field in an impromptu game of football with Kitten, Selly was wandering quietly watching his friends and Jimmy was doing what Jimmy did most, he was singing.

"_Patrick McGinty, an Irishman of note_

_Came into a fortune, so bought himself a goat_

_Said he, "Sure, of goat's milk I mean to have my fill!"_

_But when he got his Nanny home, he found it was a Bill_

_And now all the ladies who live in Killaloo_

_Are all wearing bustles like their mothers used to do_

_They each wear a bolster beneath the petticoat_

_And leave the rest to Providence and Paddy McGinty's goat!_

_Missis Burke to her daughter said, "Listen, Mary Jane,_

_Now who was the man you were cuddling in the lane?_

_He'd long wiry whiskers all hanging from his chin"_

_"Twas only Pat McGinty's goat," she answer'd with a grin."_

The dockers all snickered as Jimmy's song got more and more risqué. Then they burst into stunned laughter as Jimmy added in the verse about Little Norah McCarthy. Jimmy let his voice trail off as they four lads turned onto Marsh Lane and headed down towards the recruiting offices.

The four dockers blinked as they looked at the crowds. It looked like most of the men in Liverpool had turned out to sign up. Marty Russo elbowed Jim Dunbar and pointed to a sign nailed to the lamppost at the end of the street. _Join the war effort now! See the world! Protect your country from the German menace! _Jimmy grinned and pointed to one on the lamppost on the opposite side of the road. _Follow me! Your country needs YOU!_ Every signpost, every lamppost and every fencepost on every major road in the city had been marked by a poster encouraging the young men of Liverpool to sign up. Whether it was for the Navy or the Army or even the King's Battalion.

The four friends shrugged and joined the line for the Liverpool Pals Battalion. The line moved slowly and Jimmy soon grew bored. He began to fidget, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Christopher Bettancourt hid a smile, nudged Tom Selway and whispered something in the quiet, black man's ear. Selly and Kitten glanced at Jimmy, hid smiles behind their hands and went back to their whispered conversation.

"I got a shilling in me hand that says, our Jimmy starts singin' in less than ten minutes," Selly whispered to Kitten, pushing his glasses up his nose on the pretence of keeping his eye on the object of their wager.

"Nah, lad. We're in the middle've Marsh Lane for Heaven's sake… Give 'im at least twenny minutes," Kitten replied in his deep, soft voice, the seriousness on his face belied by the cheeky twinkle in his eye.

Jimmy sighed as he moved slowly further and further towards the front of the line. He was bored. By the time he got to the front of the line the frelling war would be over! He sighed again, shifting his weight from foot to foot and shooting a glare at Brick as he snickered at his discomfort. He glanced up at the clock and sighed a third time. He didn't notice Kitten and Selly watching him carefully. Bored out of his brain, Jim Dunbar did the only thing he could think of to do in this situation, he began to sing.

"_Why don't you work like other folks do?_

_How the hell can I work when there's no work to do?_

_Hallelujah, I'm a bum!_

_Hallelujah, bum again!_

_Hallelujah, give us a handout!_

_To revive us all again!_

_How the hell can I work when the sky is so blue?_

_How can I get a job when you're holdin' down two?_

_Hallelujah, I'm a bum!_

_Hallelujah, bum again!_

_Hallelujah, give us a handout!_

_To revive us all again!"_

"Ah, frell!" Kitten cursed, as the quiet, black man held out his hand silently.

Jimmy stopped singing and looked at Brick questioningly. Brick shrugged and turned to Kitten, who was busy handing Selly a shilling, while the bespectacled man just grinned.

"Me and Selly were taken bets on how long it would take the Bathtub Wonder over here to start caterwaulin'," Kitten said conversationally to Brick, who snorted with laughter.

Jimmy scowled at his three friends, and after a few seconds of evil glaring, the blonde man's drinking buddies started to worry that they'd annoyed Jimmy to his breaking point. Brick unconsciously took a half step back, Kitten slid a half step behind Selly, who looked at the two men with a raised eyebrow and stayed where he was. He turned back to Jimmy, who was still glowering at his three drinking buddies. Selly gave the blonde man a look over his glasses, and Jimmy's handsome face split into a wry smile as the black man held out his hand yet again. Jimmy sighed as he counted another shilling into Tom Selway's hand.

"Here now," Kitten interrupted, "What's all this?"

Jim gave Tom a mock glare, and was rewarded with a two-fingered salute, before he answered.

"Tom, here, bet me a shilling that you lads would back off iffen you thought I was gonna flip me lid."

Kitten and Brick just stared at their quiet friend, now two shillings richer, and shook their heads.

"How the bloody hell do you do it, lad?" Brick asked him.

Selly just shrugged, pushing his glasses up his nose and flicking his wayward hair out of his eyes. Glancing past Brick and Jimmy, to see Kitten moving further up the line, he nudged the two after their friend.

The four dockers spent most of the morning waiting in line, joking and laughing, and in Jimmy's case, singing. But finally their turn came. Jimmy was called forward first. Walking up to the recruitment officer's desk he grinned over his shoulder at his friends, who waved him on. The recruitment officer glanced around Jimmy to the three dockers waiting behind him.

"They wiv' you?"

"Yessir."

"Right-o. Ern? Bobby? Alfie? Put the black lad, the ladies man and the big fella in the 17th Pals Battalion wiv' this one, yeah?"

The men known as 'Ern', 'Bobby' and 'Alfie' waved Selly, Brick and Kitten over to them and the four were all questioned for their details. After a morning's waiting, the four dockers were part of the 17th Pals Battalion. They'd received their orders and were leaving for their training camps in 4 days time.

Authors note: the songs used in this chapter, once again, do not belong to me. They are in order of appearance; Paddy McGinty's Goat and Hallelujah, I'm a Bum.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Jim Dunbar stood on the train, watching the English countryside steam past him, trying to ignore the constant jostling and prodding of the people around him. His friends were around somewhere, he knew Brick was behind him, someone had to keep the big fella out of trouble. A man behind him thumped into his back yet again. Jimmy sighed and started singing softly to take his mind off wanting to punch the man in the head.

"_In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty_

_I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone_

_As she wheeled her wheelbarrow_

_Through streets broad and narrow_

_Cryin' cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o_

_Alive, alive-o, alive, alive-o_

_Cryin' cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o_

_She was a fish-monger, but sure 'twas no wonder_

_For so were her father and mother before"_

Jimmy turned and smiled as he heard Brick's voice join in with his. The two men sang softly and companionably, watching the green hills and fields roll by.

"_And they each wheeled their barrow_

_Through streets broad and narrow_

_Cryin' cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o_

_Alive, alive-o, alive, alive-o_

_Cryin' cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o_

_She died of a fever and no-one could save her_

_And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone_

_But her ghost wheels her barrow_

_Through streets broad and narrow_

_Cryin' cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o_

_Alive, alive-o, alive, alive-o_

_Cryin' cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o."_

Spotting Selly, Brick poked Jimmy in the side and gestured to where the black man was standing, before moving away to talk to the other docker. Jimmy stood alone on the packed train, his rucksack between his feet, keeping his feet easily, the rocking motion of the train just like the gentle swaying of the ships in the dockyard. He felt slightly apprehensive, he was going to war after all, but for the most part he was excited beyond all reason. The furthest away from home he had ever been was Southport with his parents when he was eight. The rest of his life had been spent in Liverpool. He grinned broadly; he was going to see the world.

"Well, that's an evil grin," came Kitten's deep voice, cutting into Jimmy's thoughts.

Jimmy turned and crossed his eyes at his friend before noticing that the cheeky twinkle normally found in Kitten's slate grey eyes had faded and worry lines had appeared in its place. He frowned, peering at Kitten before the black-haired man turned and moved away, walking with an easy grace towards the wall of the railcar. Jimmy turned with him, sliding his rucksack along with his feet, moving with the swaying of the train, light on his feet, but not nearly as graceful as Kitten. He gently tapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Kit? Y'a'right lad?" Jimmy asked, his blue eyes darkening with concern.

Christopher Bettancourt reluctantly lifted his face to stare into the concerned gaze of Jim Dunbar. Jim's head reared back. Kitten looked utterly terrified. Jim swung his head round the railcar, catching the eyes of both Brick and Selly, jerking his head and indicating that they both needed to come over here, now. The other two dockers moved with the same ease as Jim through the railcar, stopping in front of Kitten. Christopher Bettancourt tilted his head up to look at all three of his best friends. As one, their eyes widened when they saw the fear and discomfort in his eyes. Brick's eyes narrowed, darkening with anger and he swung round, searching the railcar for the frelling bastard who had dared to hurt his mate. Kitten's hand darted out, catching the big man's wrist. Brick turned and looked questioningly at him; Kitten shook his head. That wasn't what was wrong.

"Kit-lad? Y'a'right?" Selly asked, squinting at Kitten as he took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt.

"M'fine," Kitten answered, his head still bowed and his back still firmly pressed against the wall of the railcar.

"Can't give us that shite, lad, what's the do?" Brick asked him, keeping his voice low.

"M'fine…" Kitten replied unconvincingly, lifting his head to answer his friends, seeing their disbelieving looks and letting it flop back down again, "M'not fine."

"We know, lad. Now why isn't ya fine?" Selly asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"You'll laugh…"

"When was the last time we laughed at you when it was this important, Kit-lad?" Selly asked, Jimmy and Brick staying quiet, offering their support silently, Selly was better at this sort of thing than they were.

Christopher Bettancourt sighed, reaching up to push his wavy black hair out of his face. He pushed himself off the wall and stood at his full height, looking his friends in the eye for the first time since the conversation had started. He gave his fellow dockers uncertain looks before sighing again and starting to speak.

"You fellas know hows I don't like crowds much, yeah? Well, this is like that, only its different… if youse get what I mean…" here the tall Liverpudlian blushed, hoping against hope that he wouldn't have to go into any more detail.

The other dockers looked confused, "Sorry, lad, we got no frelling idea what you mean," Selly answered apologetically, realizing that Kitten didn't want to have to say what was bothering him out loud.

Kitten buried his face in his hands, "Mmmhhmmmm," he moaned into his hands, "A'right," he said, his voice lowering, "You lads know I ain't a ladies man, aye? Well, this frelling train ain't full of boobies now, is it?"

Realization dawned on the dockers' faces and Brick and Jimmy both blushed. Selly winced but moved forward to stand next to Kitten. He elbowed the other man gently in the ribs, making the grey-eyed man lower his hands to glare at him. He looked at the complicated mess that was one of his best mates, Christopher Bettancourt, and he sighed before speaking.

"You're a braver man than me, Kit, that's all I gotta say."

Kitten smiled at his friend, giving him a gentle shove with his shoulder. Both men's heads snapped around as they heard an obnoxious bray of laughter from further down the railcar. Two men stared maliciously back at the black, bespectacled man and his tall, grey-eyed friend. Obviously the more intelligent of the two, a squinty-eyed, rat-faced looking man, grinned viciously at the two men, moving towards them purposefully. The other man, a dim-looking, barrel-chested man with a face only a mother could love, followed his friend. Neither man noticed Jimmy and Brick standing by the other two dockers, ready to jump in if need be.

"Well, lookit, Harry, we got ourselves a fruity and his pet Sambo," the first man crowed, his accent showing him to be a Leeds native, waiting for his friend to bray obnoxiously, before turning to grin evilly at Christopher Bettancourt and Tom Selway.

Jimmy's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching and his shoulders bunching. Brick snarled and took a step forward. Jimmy put a hand to his chest and shook his head. It wouldn't do to let the big fella loose if these two were all mouth and no trousers. Brick growled low in his throat, but stayed where he was. Selly and Kitten were the more tolerant of the four anyway. At the Geordie's words, Tom Selway raised an eyebrow, his anger only betrayed by the tightening of his mouth and the cold glint in his eyes. Kitten gracefully eased himself off the wall, even his tendency to stoop slightly letting him tower over both men. He smiled at the two, the smile never reaching his eyes.

"D'ya kiss ya ma with that mouth?" Selly asked the rat-faced man.

"Shut yer damn face ya stupid black bastard!" the rat-faced man snapped back.

Brick took another step forward. This time Jimmy had to forcibly haul him back. This was for Selly and Kitten to deal with, if the two Leeds tossers threw punches, they would jump in, but not before. Jim Dunbar didn't start fights, he finished them. The two men from Leeds still hadn't noticed the other two furious dockers behind Kitten and Selly. Brick shook off Jimmy's restraining hand. Jimmy let him go with a shrug. It would be fun to watch the big man beat the bejeezus out of a few lummoxes like these. Jimmy began rolling up his shirt sleeves. He pushed his blonde bangs out of his face and followed Brick.

"Y'know," Kitten said slowly, his voice deep and soft, belying his anger, "That's not really a very clever thing to do."

"What's not, fruity?" the rat-faced man said, causing his otherwise silent friend to snort with laughter.

"Pissing off a bunch of Liverpool dockers, that's what," came Brick's snarl, right before the big man's fist connected solidly with the rat-faced man's ribcage.

The barrel-chested man let out a startled yell, before launching himself at Brick, throwing punches and kicks as hard as he could. The rat-faced man picked himself up and threw a punch at Kitten, who until then had been grinning at the stunned look on the Leeds native's face. The punch was off-centre and only caught Kitten a glancing blow on the chin, but it was enough. The grey-eyed man launched himself at the other man, ducking and weaving with a dancer's grace, throwing punches, his booted feet darting out to kick the other man's shins or sweep his feet out from under him. Neither one the kind of man to stand back while their friends where fighting, Jimmy and Selly exchanged a look, heaved a long-suffering sigh and threw themselves into the fray.

Punches and kicks flew as the four Liverpudlians hurled themselves into the two Geordies. Grunts and yelps came from the fight pile as the six men beat the stuffing out of each other. The barrel-chested man managed to worm his way out of the fight and took off towards the back of the train, leaving his friend at the bottom of the docker pile. Jimmy and Selly watched him run, pulling Kitten to his feet and making sure he was ok. Christopher Bettancourt grinned at his friends, wincing as his lip split. The three looked over at Brick who was still punching the rat-faced man. They looked at each other, sighed and half-heartedly tried to pull the big man off the moaning, bloodied man beneath him.

"Come ahead, big fella, he's had enough," Kitten said, hooking an arm around Brick's shoulders, trying to pull him off.

Brick growled, his eyes flashing angrily and threw one more furious punch, before allowing himself to be pulled off the Geordie who'd been stupid enough to insult his friend. The rat-faced man lay on the floor of the train, moaning, one hand curled protectively around his bruised ribcage and the other holding his bloody nose.

The four dockers moved away from the groaning Geordie, picking up their rucksacks and heading towards an empty corner of the railcar. Standing in the corner they checked out the bruises and scrapes they'd received during the fight. As usual, Brick was barely scratched, his only injury a small bruise on his chin where the barrel-chested Geordie had gotten in a lucky punch. Kitten had a split lip that was swollen and bleeding sluggishly. Selly was nursing a set of bruised ribs, his glasses crooked on his bloodied nose. Jimmy had a black eye and was cradling his hand to his chest. Kitten frowned as he saw the blonde man's hand. His own hand darted out and caught Jimmy's by the wrist. The three remaining dockers hissed in sympathy as they caught sight of the dislocated finger that was rapidly becoming purple and swollen.

Jimmy glared at his friends, he knew his finger was dislocated and he knew that someone was going to have to pop it back in, but it didn't mean he had to like it. Kitten looked at him, gently tugged Jimmy's hand towards him, nodded to Brick, who moved to stand behind the blonde man, gripped Jimmy's dislocated finger and yanked it back into place. The blonde docker's eyes widened, he let out a strangled yelp and he buckled slightly, only to be caught by Brick, the big man making it look like Jimmy had stumbled as the train moved.

Breathing deeply, his head bowed, Jimmy waited until the throbbing in his hand had faded to a dull ache, before looking up at his friends. The other three dockers were looking at him with concern in their eyes. He nodded at them and gave them a small smile. His friends favored him with answering smiles. No words were spoken between the four, because none were needed. The four Liverpudlians knew each other well enough to know when to speak and when to stay silent.

The train shuddered, causing everyone, not just the four dockers, to look up. The train began to slow, its brakes squealing. The four dockers looked at each other, grinning. Nervousness settled in their bellies and excitement bloomed in their hearts. The train came to a stop and the doors were thrown open, the sunlight temporarily blinding the train's occupants. Calls of 'Move it along now!' and 'Grab your gear and shift it!' were heard up and down the platform. Trying to avoid being jostled by the crowd, the four Liverpudlians gathered their rucksacks, hauled them onto their backs and slowly began to make their shuffling way onto the platform, following the endless line of young men in front of them.

Their adventure had begun…

Authors Note: The song used in this chapter is not mine. It is an old Irish song 'Cockles and Mussels'.


End file.
